Oh blimey - or 'It's Teams and the RFP again'
Peter Vasey
Fractional CAIO/CTO | SocioTech, Advisor & Strategist | AI & Automation Specialist | Champion for Women in Tech, Diversity and Equality.
Teams and the RFP process rises again. [where is the 'head slumps on desk' emoji?]
Back in October last year I wrote an article here wondering if Teams, and the breadth of its reach, would kill off the use of the RFP. I am now in a position to answer this. No, it has not! Sadly.
As expected, many RFPs are now coming through with Teams in the mix, and they are highlighting that, despite the supposed understanding of what Teams is and how it will affect an organisation, that there is an even bigger disconnect than there was when SfB RFPs were being written.
Applying old school RFP logic to SfB was a challenge, applying it to the world of Teams is proving to be a complete nightmare. The quality and suitability of the RFPs being seen is worrying at the very least. Teams is not a PBX replacement, yet many organisations are sending out RFPs that will return very low scoring because the writer(s), often external consultancies, are simply asking for the wrong things by focussing on technology and not use cases. As with the SfB article above, there is no wisdom in simply saying that you need Direct Routing or require this or that function. Over and above the SfB issues, Teams is another massive change of culture and includes collaboration and security awareness. Questions that result in suppliers responding with 'Teams works in a different way by... blah blah blah... ' results in a confused scoring mechanism and often a confused procurement team.
Using an RFP to decide on a Teams solution is not unreasonable, but focus on these main areas:
- Use the RFP to score how the partner/ supplier approaches Teams from end to end, from discovery to operations. Use it to find the right supplier.
- Consider asking questions on how your issues will be resolved, try probing questions like 'How would you address a challenge like this?' instead of can I pick up calls?
- Don't get caught up in technology focussed questions. Yes there are some things that need to be understood, but don't put the detail at the front.
RFPs are useful, but they apply less and less to the world of Teams. Please don't get caught up in trying to apply old school thinking to the new world. "Change is Constant" and goes for how you make your decisions too.
Contact Centre, UC & Telephony Sales Specialist with 24+ years experience in the Telecommunications industry
5yA thought provoking article Peter. I would suggest that an RFP is suitable method to procure Teams or any UC or collaboration solution. Having spent 20 years in telecoms/UC I can attest from bitter experience that the problem lies with the customer not using the process properly; often without proper internal consultation around what strategy or business needs need to be addressed. The RFP ends up being a tool to shape decisions rather than a tool to provide a supplier for a specified solution that has been identified to address the business needs. An EOL PBX or CC is often the compelling event that drives an RFP so without seeking thought leadership in advance from the market it’s no wonder RFPs have a telephony slant. Teams is also positioned as a PBX replacement (it has to be said by the vendor as well as partners); good old legacy voice is still a business critical application and whether Teams is the answer or part of the answer depends on how a customer needs best to communicate internally and externally. Is this communication largely conversational or largely formal and collaborative in nature? But that is a separate conversation. One we at GCI/Modality are best placed to help with... preferably well before an RFP.
I agree with much of this article. The RFP is rarely the place to make a decision as to whether to deploy Teams or not. However the article fails to appreciate why many organisations run RFPs and what the fundamental decision making criteria are. If a customer’s fundamental requirement is to secure its voice communications it is not fair to blame the RFP if Teams does not win out. In many cases the RFP is a requirement of applicable financial governance. At 4C we focus upon understanding why our clients are undertaking a project and what are the use cases that matter to them. We encourage clients to consider whether Teams should be a given prior to going to market. If so - then the RFP can focus upon the specific Teams solution and support required. If not then the trick is to measure responses against desirable outcomes - which may or may not include use cases.
Highly experienced UCaaS and CCaaS sales professional with many years of experience and success in various organisations. Looking for a new role to exploit my extensive knowledge and experience across this marketplace.
5yVery valid points and highlights the need to get a proper understanding of how Teams will change the way the business operates. If an RFP is deemed mandatory, at least invest some time and a bit of money if you can to get some good advice to shape your thinking and direction for the RFP/ITT.